Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to show my support for one of my local councils, the City of Greater Bendigo, and their approval last week of a planning application to build a mosque in East Bendigo. I am told from local councillors involved that it was a tough meeting and there were a number of people who had come with an agenda to speak against Islam. An anti-Islamic group had descended on the council meeting, and there was an angry mob that attacked councillors who stood up and spoke in favour of not only the application and approving the application but also multiculturalism in Bendigo. Whilst we all acknowledge that freedom of speech is part of our democratic right, there is a responsibility that comes with being a community leader. I quite proudly join a number of the Bendigo councillors regularly at citizenship ceremonies, where we, together, continue to take the affirmation and pledge to what it means to be an Australian and the constitutional rights that we have as Australians.

Australia is committed to various values and institutions. These are some of the words that our local mayor states, and these are part of the citizenship ceremonies that we have all, as elective representatives, been part of. Australians have committed to various institutions. These include parliamentary democracy, equity before the law, freedom of the individual, freedom of speech and religion, equality between men and women, and equality and opportunity for all. Citizenship brings civil and social rights—the rights to express your cultural heritage and belief, coupled with a responsibility to accept the rights of others to express their heritage and beliefs. As one of the community leaders in Bendigo, I am proud to stand for these values. I believe they define us as a nation and speak to our multicultural heritage. I am also proud to stand with other local leaders, such as our Mayor, Councillor Barry Lyons; the member for Bendigo East, Jacinta Allan; and the member for Bendigo West, Marie Edwards.

This is an issue that should not be partisan. This is an issue across the political spectrum. We should stand together to support multiculturalism. I just wanted to finish on a few words from one of our other local leaders, Anita Jack. Anita Jack is part of our very strong Bendigo Chinese Association, and she said:

We live in a secular society … secular by choice, by the people, and with that we allow things like The Stupa, the Chinese temple, churches and cathedrals to co-exist harmoniously and the mosque should be no different.

I agree with Anita.